


Escapades of Parabatai Bonds

by CheerfullyCynical



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood Feels, Alec explains to the group how the Parabatai bond feels, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Lots of Malec Cuddling, M/M, No beta: we die like men, POV Magnus Bane, Parabatai Bond, Parabatai Feels, emotional Alec lightwood, lots of emotions, lots of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 05:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20483279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheerfullyCynical/pseuds/CheerfullyCynical
Summary: The gang has a little too much to drink.Somehow, they get on the subject of how the Parabatai bond feels.Alec, slightly tipsy, tries to explain.XxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXFeatures an affectionate Alec, cuddling Malec, a drunk Clary, and - of course - Parabatai bonding.





	Escapades of Parabatai Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> When does this take place, you ask? Well, Magnus and Alec are married. Yet, Clary is there? So, who's to say. Enjoy!

“You know,” Clary slurred, possibly just a bit more drunk than Magnus should have allowed. “I never understood the…The what-you-call-it bond.” She sloppy poked Jace on his hip, right where the parabatai rune was located. Magnus had to give credit to the Blonde – he didn’t even flinch. “This. Para-Parati-”

Jace, who currently being used as a human pillow for said girlfriend, snorted, “Parabatai.” He corrected. “I know you know it. You only had five shots!”

“Clary’s a lightweight!” Simon cheered, holding his glass high in a mock solute, “I told you guys she would be the first to be defeated!”

“I’m not _drunk_,” Clarrisa continued, causing Magnus to smile. She was, at the very least, tipsy, “I’m _not! _I’m in the floaty stage of it, you know? Where something could be on fire, but you would let it slide.”

“What?” Isabelle asked, “Since when is that a stage of drinking?”

Clary looked ridiculously upset, “You guys don’t get _relaxed. _That’s such a _shame_.”

Magnus couldn’t help it, he laughed. Clary said it with such enthusiastic manner. Besides him, Alexander was smiling wide, adjusting his grip around him and instead lightly digging his fingers around Magnus’s hip. Magnus lets out a pleased hum and leaned against his husband, head laying on his shoulder.

“What don’t you get?” Izzy asked, looking genuine curious.

“So,” Clary began, sitting up…As straight as she could. If Magnus had to guess, he would say that she was trying to lecture them, “If one of yous-” She points and Alexander than Jace, “dies, the other feels it. But you guys _also _feel emotions and other…_Stuff. _Like, when Alec broke up with Magnus, yooou-” She swung her head to Jace, “Felt it.”

“Yikes, Fray,” Simon mutters, “little dark, but okay.”

“So,” Jace said, breaking up the tension, “What, exactly, is your question?”

“_Why_?” She breathed, “_How_? I don’t know, what does it _feel _like?”

The parabatai looked at each other, having a silent conversation. “_You do it”_ Jace gestured, followed by Alec’s “_She’s your girlfriend._”

“Like _that!_” Clary said loudly, “See, I can tell what you guys are trying to say to each other, but you have a different…Wave…Length…Thing.”

Alec let out a sigh, moving his shoulder lightly to get Magnus to move. Magnus did so without compliant, interested to see what Alexander would do. He turned towards Magnus, giving him such an _Alexander _smile that Magnus’s heart skipped a wonderful beat.

“You mind?” Alexander said, slowly putting his hand lightly on his chest. That was what Magnus loved about Alexander – he was never one to just _do _when it involved something intimate. He wanted to make sure that the people around him were always comfortable.

Magnus, meanwhile, had never been so grateful for alcohol. Alexander was never usually one to take up one of Magnus’s favorite pastimes, but when he did, he was always more…Publicly affectionate. The more intoxicated Alexander become, the more cuddling Magnus would get.

There was no doubt in Magnus’s mind that the reason Alexander was allowing such a close contact in front of his family was because of the _many _strawberry daiquiri that he had consumed.

“Not in the slightest.” Magnus said, chuckling a little when Alec put his hand clumsily over his chest. Magnus couldn’t help leaning into the touch.

Alec began to tap lightly on his chest with his pointer finger, right where his heart was. “This is Jace,” Alec said, tapping a slow beat, just a little off of Magnus’s own heartbeat, “I can feel it anytime, listen to if I try hard enough. It’s…”

“Relaxing,” Jace answered, impressed at Alec’s words, “Yeah. It’s a comfortable…Weight on your chest, all the time.”

Magnus nodded, actually paying attention now. It took Magnus a moment, but he realized he never viewed the parabatai bond as _relaxing. _To Magnus, it was for battle – something used to be a better soldier. He never _really _considered that it was something pleasant.

“But,” Alec continued, making sure to look into Magnus’s eyes, “Maybe, Jace is nervous.” Alec picks up the speed on Magnus chest, not harder, just faster.

“Or,” Jace continued, a cheeky smile on his face, “Alec is in a boring meeting.” Jace takes his pointer finger to Clary’s shoulder, slowing down Alexander’s tapping by a long shot.

The room laughed at Alec’s annoyed expression. “Don’t start. I could list about a thousand things that would cause that."

“So it’s…” Simon asked, “It’s a happy bond thing! Like, the opposite of Harry and Voldemort.”

“Moldy- _what?” _Jace asked. He shook his head, probably remembering the last predicament he was left in when Simon learned that the group had never seen Star Wars. “Never mind, I didn’t ask.”

Izzy snorted, obviously amused, “Hey, I actually know that one! Harry uh – Pot!”

“Potter!” Clary and Simon yelled together, causing the both of them to laugh. “Uncultured swine,” Simon continued, “Honestly, how is it that _none _of you have seen Harry Potter. It’s what half of America grew up on!”

“Buuuut,” Clary slurred, “not knowing Harry Potter doesn’t explain why they _fight _and _feel _so well together, you know?” Clarry said, swatting at Jace’s poking.

“Okay,” Jace said, but then he paused, “I don’t know how to explain what fighting feels like.”

Alec’s hand stilled on Magnus chest. He looked lost in thought (_or maybe his Alexander had _just _a bit too much to drink)_. Alec pushed his hand a little harder on Magnus chest, fingers spread out. His other hand was suddenly on Magnus’s hip. Though they were sitting across from each other, on the floor, Magnus couldn’t help but feel completely content knowing Alexander was there, holding him.

The room went silent. Magnus couldn’t blame the rest of them – how did _this _describe what Jace and Alec felt.

“I get it!” Jace said, oddly excited to see his parabatai and brother in law being intimate in front of him.

The group waited, but Jace didn’t say another word. He looked at all of them, surprised to find the attention on himself, but said nothing. He made a motion with his hand towards the two of them as if to say ‘_the answer is right there,_’ but Magnus was left feeling confused.

“Protected. You feel protected.” Alec said softly, his eyes widening as soon as the word left his mouth. He blushed furiously but didn’t take his hands away.

Jace stilled, looking at Alec. The both stared at each other for a moment, Jace smiling _ever so slightly _at him. They both nodded at each other, surprised at how intense the conversation had gotten.

“Yeah,” Jace agreed, voice just a bit hoarse. He coughed, taking a swing of whatever drink was next to him. “it’s not like the Shadowhunter Codex describes it very well. I can’t tell when Alec is going to shoot an arrow and he can’t tell when I’m-”

“-Being dangerously reckless and taking on more demons than you should handle?” Izzy cut in, taking an innocent sip of her wine.

“_Ha!” _Alec laughed, _really _laughed, nearly choking on it. Magnus couldn’t help it, he laughed right with him, more hysterical over the noise that came out of his husband. The rest of the group, minus an annoyed Jace, laughed along with Alexander, pleased to find where this is going.

“Yeah, okay,” Clary said, still giggling slightly, “So… So _protected._”

“I know Jace will always be there,” Alec said, now without thinking. He tightened his hands around Magnus, something oddly comforting, “I can _feel _it, just like this.” Alexander began to tap on his chest once again. Magnus could have sworn that each touch was producing fireworks in his chest – warm and beautiful. 

“I trust him.” He finished.

“Two-way street, buddy,” Jace replied, Clary’s head now on his shoulder, “_That’s _how it works.”

The room got quiet. Magnus could help but watch as he Alexander slowly leaned his head towards him. Without words, their foreheads came together. They were wrapped in each other’s arms, Alexander’s hand still tapping away on his chest. _I love you. You’re just as important to me as Jace is. You’re beautiful. _

“I’m gonna ask,” Simon said, causing Alec to lean away from him. Was it possible to turn the vampire into a toad for killing such a wonderful mood? “Only because I know I’m not going to get another chance.”

Simon turned to Alec, who honestly looked like a deer in the headlights, “What was it like? When Jace-” Simon made a really dramatic scene of pretending to get stabbed, maybe to make the question easier, but it certainly didn’t.

Alec took a deep breath in, surprised. He obviously did not like the question in the slightest, judging by how fast he stopped tapping on Magnus. Magnus, who had witnessed the bond being destroyed in front of his eyes, was also not too keen on the answer. It was traumatic for everyone involved. 

“_Simon!_” Izzy chastised, giving him a solid whack on the arm, “Really?”

“It’s alright.” Alexander replied, shuffling slightly. Alec resumed his taping without another thought. Instead of looking at Magnus, however, he was looking down slightly.

“This-” He said, voice quiet, “This is a constant. If Shadowhunters have one thing right about the bond, it’s that your parabatai holds a part of your soul. But they really didn’t describe what it felt like to just-”

Alexander, using some of his Shadowhunter reflexes, pulled away from Magnus. The warmth of his husband was gone, replaced with the chilly air conditioned of the loft. Magnus shivered, instantly missing the contact.

It was nothing – in the grand scheme of things, Alexander pulling away from him, still only inches away, happens every day, every hour. When they hug, when they kiss, when they lay in bed together.

But it was the very concept of _never _having the continuous contact again that had Magnus reeling – the idea of never feeling Alexander’s warmth against his chest; to never hold him or touch him ever again. It was stupid, wildly ridiculous, but Magnus grabbed for Alexander’s hand as fast as he could, grasping tightly to make sure he was still there.

Alexander smiled wide at him, eyes glistening. He surprised Magnus once again but pulling on his arm, forcing Magnus closer to him.

“It hurt,” Alex said softly, intensely, looking a Jace, “of course it hurt. A part of me – of _you – _died. But I don’t think that’s the reason parabatai die _together_. It’s not just because you died.”

“It’s the idea of failing,” Jace said, looking at Alec with an old understanding. “The idea of failing to protect you.”

The room fell silent – there was nothing any one of them could do to break the sudden tension. Magnus turned around and hugged Alexander tighter, glad to have him close – glad to have him alive and in love and beautiful after everything they had ever gone through.

“Love you guys,” Simon sniffed, clinging onto a less than enthusiastic Isabelle. Magnus knew that she loved it. “All of you are amazing and perfect friends.” There was a pause, “Jace, you’re still a douchebag.”

Clary laughed loudly as Jace spluttered, trying in vain to say something insulting back. With that, Alec lost it as well – Magnus was helpless against that sound. He relaxed into Alec, feeling the tension drain out of him as someone muttered something about getting up early tomorrow.

Everyone got up from their spots all at once – promises of doing this again, of taking Clary home safely, of getting more alcohol. It was so domestic that Magnus felt a warmth blossom in his chest. By the time everyone was gone, Alec was like an octopus around him, more affectionate than ever.

Magnus would never complain.

“I love you,” Alexander said, whispering it into his ear, “I love you more than I can put into words.”

“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus told him, hugging him just as tight, “I know, darling.”

They went to bed as they always did…

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> This cute little one shot filled with emotions distracted me from my Shadowhunters Wing!Fic. But GOODNESS I just love the idea of a Parabatai bond. I hope I did it justice. Let me know if you enjoyed! Love you all! <3


End file.
